We grew up poor, but we didn’t know it

We grew up poor and if not poor, having less than most, but didn’t know it. My parents were products of a generation that did not push their kids to go to college and make lots of money.But even though we had little, it was not apparent to my little sister and me. We always had what we wanted, because we never wanted much. We never wanted much because it never occurred to us that we should ask for that much.Don’t get me wrong, we did not grow up Amish or in some sort of isolated community; I went to a public school with kids from all walks of life. Some were poorer than us and some were quite affluent.But at home we were content with having what we had. We made things fun that most kids would have snubbed their noses at. Like take making Kool-Aid, well we had Flavor-Aid, the off brand of the sugary drink. We would mix the powder and sugar into an empty milk jug full of water and my little sister and I would race to see who could shake it up the fastest. This sounds like a ridiculous game but it was what we did to pass the time. We did not want to go inside and play video games because we never expected our parents to buy them for us. So we made our own fun. I remember playing for hours out in the yard pretending to be make-believe characters getting into fights and casting spells and what not if that happened to be the game we played that day. We could have been anything we wanted to be, pirates, cowboys, ninja turtles or even kings and queens.Either way, we never felt like we had to go without. I would like to take the time to send out a big thank you to my parents for making my life great even if we didn’t have it all. My parents are great people who have sacrificed more than I will probably ever know. I pray that one day I will be at least half the parent they were for me.I wasn’t raised on only bread and water, but I wasn’t raised on name-brand everything either, and I think I turned out pretty well.From my parents, not only have I learned the value of a dollar, but also that you can make the best out of a situation that would seem like to some, hopeless to overcome. We grew up poor, and if not poor, having less than most, but thanks to my parents, we never knew it and thanks to them, we had a great childhood.